Sales Manager – Shipbuilding & Heavy Fabrication

Location: United States (Remote / Hybrid)

Department: Sales

Reports To: Sales Director

The Sales Manager, Shipbuilding & Heavy Fabrication is responsible for growing the company's welding automation and robotics business across the U.S. shipbuilding and heavy steel fabrication markets.

This role focuses on new business development and account management with commercial, offshore and workboat, defense and naval shipyards, as well as the heavy fabricators that supply them.

The successful candidate will bring established relationships within the shipbuilding industry and a proven track record of selling capital equipment or welding automation solutions into this market.

The Sales Manager will work closely with customers, system integrators, engineering teams, and internal leadership to deliver automation solutions that improve productivity, operational efficiency, and weld quality.

This is a high-ownership opportunity for an experienced sales professional who understands the shipbuilding industry and can independently develop customer relationships, generate new business, and drive market growth.

Business Development & Sales Growth

• Identify, qualify, and pursue new welding automation and robotics opportunities within U.S. shipyards and heavy steel fabricators.
• Develop and expand relationships with shipyard decision-makers across engineering, production, and capital-equipment procurement.
• Build and maintain a healthy capital-equipment sales pipeline to support revenue growth objectives.
• Prospect through direct outreach, industry networks, referrals, and maritime and fabrication trade events.
• Support channel and partner engagement where system integrators or service partners are involved.

Account Management

• Maintain and strengthen relationships with existing customers to support repeat business and long-term customer satisfaction.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned customer accounts.
• Identify opportunities for additional robot, automation, service, and support sales.
• Assist in managing customer expectations and ensuring timely communication throughout the sales process.

Sales Execution

• Manage sales opportunities from initial customer engagement through quotation, negotiation, order receipt, and project handoff.
• Prepare sales proposals, quotations, budget estimates, and ROI/payback analyses with support from engineering and inside sales teams.
• Coordinate customer requirements with engineering, application, service, and operations teams.
• Maintain accurate customer records, opportunity updates, and forecasting information within CRM systems.
• Achieve or exceed assigned sales targets and performance goals.

Customer Engagement & Market Development

• Represent the company at maritime and fabrication trade shows and industry events.
• Support customer demonstrations, proof-of-concept activities, technical reviews, and site visits.
• Monitor customer needs, market trends, and competitor activities and provide feedback to management.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support continuous improvement of sales processes and customer engagement practices.
• Contribute to a positive, collaborative, and growth-oriented team environment.
• Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum 5 years of capital-equipment, welding, or automation sales experience, with a majority of that time selling directly to shipyards and/or heavy steel fabricators.
• Demonstrated track record closing capital-equipment or welding-automation sales into marine and shipbuilding accounts (commercial, offshore and workboat, and/or defense and naval).
• Existing, active relationships with decision-makers at U.S. shipyards.
• Working knowledge of shipyard production flow (panel and profile lines, block and sub-block assembly, structural steel welding) and heavy welding processes (submerged arc / SAW, FCAW, GMAW).
• Comfort managing long, consultative, multi-stakeholder capital sales cycles.
• Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%, concentrated around U.S. shipbuilding regions.
• Valid authorization to work in the United States.

Preferred

• Direct experience selling welding automation: mechanized or robotic welding systems, panel, profile, or T-beam lines, positioners, and material handling for heavy steel.
• Familiarity with marine and defense standards and class requirements (NAVSEA, MIL-STD, ABS or DNV, AWS D1.1).
• Experience selling into defense and naval shipbuilding, and familiarity with the related compliance environment (ITAR / EAR export control, Buy American and Berry Amendment); U.S. person status for export-control purposes is a plus.
• Active network within maritime or fabrication communities (SNAME, SCA, ASNE, AWS, or similar).
• Territory experience in the Gulf Coast, Southeast, or Mid-Atlantic shipbuilding corridors.
• Experience in an early-stage, high-growth, or entrepreneurial environment.

Performance Measures

• Annual sales revenue achievement
• New customer acquisition
• Pipeline generation and opportunity conversion
• Forecast accuracy
• Customer retention and satisfaction
• Territory growth
• CRM utilization and opportunity management
• Key shipyard account penetration and expansion

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary with performance-based incentive compensation
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Opportunity to work with advanced robotics and automation technologies
• Dynamic and collaborative work environment
• Opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of an expanding North American business